Google Updates Select Locales With High-Res Imagery

Google is making its Maps and Earth products even better. While the company clearly has to match Apple now that the company is cranking out its own Maps app for iOS 6, it seems that 3D offline maps with flyover data isn't enough. Now, it has just published another extensive catalog of new imagery. This week it has new updates to both its high resolution aerial and satellite imagery and our 45° imagery. In total, 25 new cities and 72 new countries/regions are seeing high-res aerial and satellite updates, which will be rolled out to both Maps and Earth.

Not surprisingly, the London Olympic Games are juiced up, with new satellite imagery of the Olympic Park / Village. The new 45° imagery update includes coverage for 21 U.S. cities and 7 international locations, including Munich, Germany, and Chicago, Illinois. The full list of updated locales is below, and you can bet that Google's mapping rivals are paying close attention. We suspect we're in the early stages of a one-upping contest on the map side, and for avid travelers, that's a pretty exciting notion.